Paris' East End

Formerly a rock quarry, the hilly Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement has broad lawns, towering waterfalls and a view that rivals those from Montmartre.

Photo: Amber Procaccini

Artazart

Stop into Artazart bookshop in the 10th arrondissement for vintage Polaroid cameras and a selection of art and design books.

Photo: Amber Procaccini

Hotel du Nord

Hotel du Nord in the 10th arrondissement has an upscale retro vibe.

Photo: Amber Procaccini

Canal Saint-Martin

Along the Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement, explore the quaysides while the occasional tour boat navigates the locks and drawbridges, past picnicking families, guitar-strumming hipsters and sunbathing young couples.

Photo: Amber Procaccini

Antoine & Lili

Antoine & Lili in the 10th arrondissement is a wildly colored minivillage of storefronts, offering bold and exotic printed dresses and decorations.

Photo: Amber Procaccini

Merci

A good walking tour starts at Merci in the 3rd arrondissement.

Photo: Amber Procaccini

Rosa Bonheur

Stop at Rosa Bonheur, a pavilion at the Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement with cheap eats and drinks that fills up on summer Sunday evenings with a large, trendy (and largely gay) crowd.

Photo: Amber Procaccini

Like NYC's Lower East Side, the Left Bank has seen its bohemian edge soften. So where do the artistes and academics now gather?—Misha Pinkhasov